Some of you may find this of interest. Rosalie in Bar Harbor, Me. God Bless America ----- Original Message ----- From: "Sally Rolls Pavia" <sallypavia2001@yahoo.com> To: <BUNKER-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Thursday, November 11, 2004 8:29 AM Subject: "History of the Great Chicago Fire, October 8, 9, and 10, 1871" > The complete text of James Goodsell's > "History of the Great Chicago Fire, October 8, 9, and 10, 1871." > Published 1871 by J.H. and C.M. Goodsell > (25 pages, including a map of the area affected by the fire) > > On Dearborn street stood The Times and The Journal newspaper offices, the > Dearborn theatre, and a considerable number of banks and large office > blocks > La Salle street was built up with many of the finest buildings to be found > in the city. It was largely occupied by insurance agents, real estate > brokers, lawyers, etc. Between Washington and Randolph streets, stood the > court-house, which, of course, shared the general ruin. > > These details are only given to aid the reader in obtaining a proximate > idea > of the losses. Little was saved except from those houses which were not > attacked by the flames until several hours after it was seen to be > inevitable that the city was doomed. > > Immense quantities of goods were piled upon lake park and on the grounds > of > the Chicago Base Ball club-pyramids of clothing, boots and shoes, dry > goods, > and furniture from the houses of the rich dwellers along Michigan > avenue-all > of which fell a prey to the destroyer. > > THE LOSS OF LIFE > The loss of life, though smaller than could have been predicted in such an > extended and such a rapid fire, can yet never be fully estimated. There > have > been charred remains at the morgue which were almost unrecognizable as > human > bodies, and as the ruins are lying from two to ten feet deep in places, it > is impossible to say how many have been buried under them. The fact that > but > few of those who are prominently known are missing, must not lead any to > believe that there have not been many lost who would be missed only by an > exceedingly small circle of friends, too obscure themselves to attract > much > attention. > > The greatest loss of life was in the north division among the wooden > buildings where the billows of fire rolled along so rapidly that the > victims > were engulphed before they were aware that the fire had reached their > neighborhood. The flames often jumped two or three blocks at once, as was > the case at the water works and Lill's brewery, which were on fire a long > time before any of the adjoining buildings. At the waterworks one man > crawled into a 20-inch pipe, which was lying in the street, and was burned > to a crisp. > > Continue reading the article at: > http://chicago.about.com/cs/history/a/16_history_fire.htm > > > Sally Rolls Pavia > sallypavia2001@yahoo.com > "We will not be remembered by our words, but by our kind deeds." > List Owner: GENEALOGYBITSANDPIECES-L-request@rootsweb.com > Archives: http://archiver.rootsweb.com/th/index/GENEALOGYBITSANDPIECES > "All incoming and outgoing email checked by Norton Anti-Virus" > > > > > > ==== BUNKER Mailing List ==== > Douglas G. Detling (list coordinator) > e-mail: doug.detling@greencity.org > >